Dharamsala Commissioner, acting against illegal structures, shifted

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 5

Dharamsala Municipal Commissioner Lalit Jain, who had been carrying out a campaign against illegal and unsafe constructions, has been transferred unceremoniously.

Jain, the fourth commissioner of the civic body formed two years ago, today relieved his charge, which has now been given to Additional Commissioner Satish Sharma.

The development comes, according to sources, after influential lobby of hoteliers recently met Minister for Urban Development Sudhir Sharma against the action being initiated against them by Jain, whose powers were then snatched and transferred to the Town and Country Planning Department.

During his five-month stint, Jain had stirred hornet nest by acting against hoteliers in McLeodganj who had been raising illegal constructions. He had ordered severing of power connections of nearly 70 hotels and commercial complexes in McLeodganj and its surrounding area. It was for the first time that action was initiated against illegal constructions in McLeodganj and other parts of Dharamsala.

As per the building bylaws, just four-storey building and parking are allowed to be constructed in the Dharamsala region. An investigation in McLeodganj by the former Commissioner had revealed that in many cases while the approval was for just two-storey house, a seven-storey hotel had been constructed. Even the Union Ministry for Foreign Affairs that has its Liaison Office for the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj had complained regarding the illegal buildings coming around its office.

Jain continued taking action against those who had trapped trees in their buildings or had cut them illegally. He had also initiated action against those who owned lakhs in property tax to the local body.

Four Commissioners in two years

• Lalit Jain was the fourth Commissioner of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation which was formed two years ago 
• The average stint of the commissioners has remained six months
• The frequent change has hit the Smart City project hard 
• Besides, no extra staff has been recruited since the civic body was upgraded to corporation, thus impairing its functioning

Action against McLeodganj hoteliers

• Jain had stirred hornet nest by acting against hoteliers in McLeodganj who had been raising illegal constructions
• He had ordered severing of power connections of nearly 70 hotels and commercial complexes in McLeodganj and its surrounding area
• It was for the first time that action was initiated against illegal constructions in the area